Property from an Important Private Collection The four supporters of the celestial throne, Persia, 15th century, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, above 6 lines of black naskh, the reverse with 17 lines of black naskh, important words...

Property from an Important Private Collection The four supporters of the celestial throne, Persia, 15th century, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, above 6 lines of black naskh, the reverse with 17 lines of black naskh, important words in red, the leaf 22 x 14.5cm. Provenance: Sotheby’s London, 12 October 2000, lot 59 (part lot) Note: This leaf was probably from a treatise on eschatology or from the Mi’raj; the four angels have the head of a human, an eagle, a lion and an ox and only later had been identified as Seraphiel, Michael, Gabriel and Azrael. For further discussion on the theme and comparable images see W. E. Begley, ‘The myth of the Taj Mahal and a new theory of its symbolic meaning’ in The Art Bulletin, vol. 61. No.1, Mar. 1979, p.18, ft.50.
Condition report: In fair condition, minor losses to the page affecting mainly the corners, some residue of tape, losses to the paint, later notes on margins, as viewed.